After 14 hours of adventurous and congested driving, which started in Karlsruhe in pouring rain and even included snowfall in Austria, eight highly motivated KIT students reached Torbole, located on the northern shores of Lake Garda, around 9 pm on August 27, 2011.
Unfortunately it was too late for surfing, but nevertheless we explored our surf spot, the Surfcenter Surfsegnana, the same evening.
After a restful night at the beautiful Hotel Orchidea, we headed to the Surfsegnana rental center shortly after 9 a.m., where we picked up our mountain bikes as well as the buoyancy vests that are obligatory on Lake Garda.
Lake Garda is one of the windiest areas in Europe thanks to the thermal conditions in the middle of mountains. In the morning comes the slightly weaker offshore Peler, very suitable for beginners, which offers conditions close to home in smooth water for us dredge lake accustomed windsurfers. At noon around 1 p.m. the wind shifts and becomes the stronger, onshore Ora, whose appearance was longed for by everyone and called for with a curious Ora-Ora dance. The Ora brings with it high waves that evoke sea-like feelings and give especially the advanced learners the opportunity to improve their planing technique, as well as their maneuvers in strong winds.
Overall, the group's learning ranged from improving the three-step tack and jibe to learning harness technique, planing, beach and water starts, and challenging jibe variations.
Except for one day, when it rained heavily in the morning and therefore there was a lull in the afternoon, we from Karlsruhe became an integral part of the water scenery. This day gave us the opportunity to explore the surrounding region with our mountain bikes and to visit a spectacular waterfall (Cascada de Varone), which pours into a gorge up to 90m deep.
The evening activities were greatly enriched by the presence of three members of SSGL Leopoldshafen, our surf spot in Karlsruhe, some of whom have been surfing in Torbole since the 80s and therefore had a profound knowledge of the place as well as one or two insider tips at the ready. In addition, despite their advanced age, they were a very entertaining company and did not miss any party with us.
Mountain bike and climbing excursions in the surrounding mountains rounded off the excursion program perfectly in terms of sports.
Exhausted but happy we started our journey home after this full and eventful week and each of us has developed enormously according to his starting level and learned a lot.
One thing is for sure: This surf spot has not seen the last time of KIT students!
